KON POV
“So how was it?”
“Normal, I guess? I thought it would be more nerve-wracking but everything seems ordinary. Like a physical education checkup after a school paper test. I think to them, the background check is the most important one.”
“Told you so.”
I answered Zack’s question. We are having lunch on the rooftop again today, and for some reason, Elizabeth is joining us. I thought she would eat together with her cliques. When I asked her about it, she said she needed to keep an eye on us. Same old Elizabeth, would she be mad if I called her a Tsundere?
Whatever floats her boat I guess.
“What’s your time attack?”
“Hehe, Glad you asked, Venti.”
I whipped out my phone and showed them my obstacle course run. Before the participants attempt the run, they can choose to have their run recorded for studying purposes. That way the proctor can point out the mistakes in their movement.
“Now feel free to tremble in fear at my achievement! First try by the way.”
“Wow, 1 minute and 33 seconds huh?”
“Hm, you seemed to have calculated everything perfectly. Even that sprinter stance at the end there. As expected of our scanner head.”
“This is awesome desuwa! Is this what the test is normally like?”
Who the heck are you calling a scanner head. Also yes, this is what the majority of the test looks like aside from the SpeedGear tutorial testing which I didn’t include in the video. However, depending on the testing ground or area that you take the test in, the obstacle course might slightly differ from one another.
I reckon the general idea is still the same. Obstacle courses should include every basic moment test at the very minimum.
“How is it Ojou-chan, you should take a look at ours too and study it for your license exam.”
“Oh, but I’m in a tea ceremony club. SpeedGear is a bit…..”
Elizabeth looked downcast again. She had this conflicted look on her face every time we brought up SpeedGear in front of her. I’m sure she wanted to at least try it, but I wonder why she is adamant about being in a Tea club. Does it hold any sentimental value to her?
“Welp, I don’t know what the deal is but chin up Elizabeth, now that all three of us have obtained our licenses, this calls for a celebration!”
“Celebration desuka?”
“Yes, sir! And what better way to celebrate than to raid someone else’s house!”
Oh snap, please don’t point at me. I still remember the last time we held a so-called celebration at my house. Let’s just say the sofa was not the first victim of their drunken rampage.
“JA-JAN! The old bottle spins. Spin to win, baby!”
Zack took out an empty bottle and began to spin it in the middle of our gathering circle. I closed my eyes and cracked open the other one, not daring to look at the fate of my apartment room.
“And the lucky number goes to……..Elizabeth! Congratulation!”
At that, Zack got up and clapped at Elizabeth with a big smile on his face. Venti got up too and started clapping and saying congratulations. I joined too, happy that it’s not my turn this time.
With all of us clapping and congratulating Elizabeth, she looked part bashful and part confused. Ehehe, she says while scratching her head.
Oh, you sweet summer child who knows not any better. Well good luck to you Elizabeth, I hope your parents are at home when the storm comes.
“Wait! You want to come to my house desuka!?”
“Yes Elizabeth, the great bottle spin has passed its judgment. You are the chosen one Elizabeth!”
“Duun dunnn, chosen one, dun dun.”
Zack acting like a sketchy church pastor who had somehow found a believer, while Venti is adding in some background music at the back. I bet he is secretly happy that his house is not chosen this time. Elizabeth went awawa at that. She is weak to peer pressure it seems.
Fast forward to the after school, the three of us are waiting on Elizabeth while she is making a phone call. She talked in a quick and flustered manner to who I presumed to be her servant. I’m half expecting she has a butler named Sebastian or something.
Anyway, now that Elizabeth is busy and out of earshot, I asked Zack the question I had since lunch.
“You manipulated the bottle spin didn’t you?”
“The great one has a mind of their own, it’s not for us to question their decision.”
The idiot approached me and grabbed my shoulders. I looked at Venti, and he just shrugged. When I kept on staring, he averted his eyes. So they are in on this, but since when?
Don’t tell me.
“What have you guys been doing after school for the past weeks or so?”
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“Kon, you have to understand. One does not shun the calling of a higher power.”
“Have you been visiting her house?”
“The higher power hath bestowed upon us a message, and thus we as the believer are nothing but cogs in the grand scheme of things.”
“Did you meet her parents too?”
“But alas, in the end, everything has to be this way.”
“Answer me dammit!”
“The reckoning Kon, the reckoning!”
This guy is hopeless. I shoved his face aside and stared very hard at Venti. If Zack doesn’t want to give me an answer for whatever reason, Venti should be more reasonable yes? His eyes kept swimming around though.
“Venti, you better tell me what’s going on.”
“Well, you pretty much figured it out. Yes, we have been visiting her mom in the restaurant a couple of times. She seems pretty chill.”
“And?”
“And…….. We also met her dad, and he doesn’t seem to like us very much.”
“……”
I almost wanted to ask what did they to earn her father’s ire, but Zack’s hand on my shoulder told me everything. He is holding me in place, in case I want to run away. What kind of mess have I gotten myself into?
Am I supposed to play as the mediator between an angry dad and two hoodlums who are trying to kidnap his daughter now? Good lord. At least a defendant has the luxury of waiting for the crime to conclude first before jumping into the lava pit.
Venti has the decency to act a bit embarrassed, but holy moly, Zack’s smile makes me want to punch him in the face so badly.
The good news is, that Elizabeth is still on the call, so that gives me more time to think. The bad news is, I think she is talking with her father now judging by the tone she used. So, there is no way for me to escape this it seems. I wish the dad would just shut the door on us, but listening to Elizabeth’s happy voice I doubt that is the case.
I hope that Elizabeth’s dad is not telling her to bring Venti and Zack in to settle things once and for all. Sigh, I have no choice but to prepare for the worst I guess.
“Oi, release me. I need to go get something.”
“Hm? And what might that be?”
“A buffer to soften the blow.”
I went to the cooking club and grabbed myself a couple of Trail Mix Cookie batches that I stored in the fridge yesterday. I wanted to enjoy it tomorrow after letting it rest for a bit longer, but it’s not meant to be. Thankfully, the cooking club members were kind enough to let me borrow their kitchen and ingredients after I taught them a couple of tips and recipes.
I borrowed some wrappings and packaged the cookies neatly in a green and red ribbon wrapping, giving it a bit of Christmasy joy with a couple of store-bought stickers. I hope the dad will like it.
“That’s hella cute. You sure it will make the dad less angry at us?”
“You guys are leaving me no choice but to play to my strength here. If it doesn’t work, well good luck. You can meet me at the nearby ramen shop after the dad finishes raging on you for whatever reason.”
“Aw, come on Kon. We are a team; you should bear 1/3 of the burden.”
This slimy little-
“Everything is Good, desuwa! The ride is already here desuyo. Let’s Go.”
“Alright team, move out. Today’s mission is a big one with the potential of a super large boss that cannot be cheesed normally. Prepare yourself, there are no save points.”
Is it too late to run away now? I thought to myself as Zack dragged me into the car.
It’s a Limousine and the inside is very spacious along with a mini fridge and a bar area at further back. There’s even a freaking Entertainment system with various luxurious amenities. I swallowed hard. We are going to meet some very important people, aren’t we?
Yet here I am with two idiots trying to appease a raging dad and a 7-star restaurant owner mom. I am currently equipped with nothing but a handmade cookie as the main weapon. What am I doing with my life?
The scenery zoomed by, but I could not for the life of me enjoy it at all. I don’t know what stomach Venti and Zack have to be able to banter with Elizabeth and joke around during our travel. In the end, I just closed my eyes and relaxed.
It’s pointless to think about it too hard. We are just going to meet her parents. What’s the worst that could happen? Might as well enjoy the high-quality plush leather seating before they kick us out of their house while yelling ‘Never talk to my daughter ever again.’
My resting time ran out far too soon as I was treated to a sight that I normally see when I clicked open an online video showing a property of a hundred million credits in value.
Here, everything is well maintained with the occasional passing of housekeepers and gardeners who are maintaining the plants and shrubbery.
After passing through the gate, security outpost, and the rich people’s garden, the car finally stopped near the fountain and parked right in front of the mansion door. I could see a bunch of servants dressing up as maids and butlers lining up to welcome us.
I am seriously out of my element, but I don’t intend to put on a mask. Integrity is important here, so I should just be myself. If they don’t like me, then that’s that.
The driver opened the door for us and we stepped out onto a red carpet. I was wondering what’s the occasion about. Surely this is not about us, right? I hope they didn’t take our word of celebration too seriously. How in the world am I going to explain this?
Damn, Zack and his stupid bottle.
As we neared, the large double door opened to reveal a silver-haired man. He reminds me of an English gentleman from the olden Victoria era where people walk around with suits and canes.
His beard is clean-shaven with a neatly trimmed mustache, and His visage is sharp with a well-built body stature. From his posture and center of balance, I can see how he has the qualification, and more, to teach Elizabeth Bartitsu.
But right now he is standing imposingly while crossing his arms, glaring daggers at Zack and Venti.
I can hear the roaring sound effect coming from his intimidating presence, so no doubt that this man is Elizabeth’s father.
“Father, you are here. Meet my friends, Venti, Zack, and Kon. They are here for a celebration desuno.”
“Ho, a celebration you say.”
I took the lull in time as a cue to come in and hand him a gift while elaborating on the occasion for our supposed ‘visit.’
“Good day to you sir, my name is Kon Caspier. We’re thrilled to share the joy of passing our SpeedGear license exam. Today, we visit your home for a celebration if you would let us. Elizabeth is equally excited and we hope to deepen our bond by celebrating this joyous occasion together. This might not seem much, but please accept these cookies.”
“……”
He is even taller than Zack, so I had to raise my hand a bit higher to give him the cookies. For a second there, his fiery eyes mellowed a bit as he stared at the cookies and then at me.
A moment later he finally accepted it with a smile and handed them to the servant that appeared out of nowhere.
“Hm, Elizabeth made a good friend. You can call me Mr. Arthur. Now as for these two-”
“Ara, why are you all standing at the door, come in.”
A woman came down from stairs and my breath hitched for a moment.
A princess, no, a queen. I can see the poised demeanor from every step she takes as she comes downstairs. Her blonde hair is tied in a circle braided hairstyle befitting of an aristocratic charm, and the emerald-colored eyes that Elizabeth inherited reflect an allure so deep that one can dive into it.
Yet despite my growing curiosity, I stayed back my intent reading. The idea of using my prana to read her crossed my mind for a brief moment before I snuffed it out entirely.
Her matured countenance is not for show. Although she is currently adopting a joyful and relaxed tone as she welcomes her guests, I can see it in the way she carries herself.
She is strong. Far stronger than anything I had encountered with, bar Ms. Emma. Those emerald eyes of hers hold an uncountable number of secrets and I could feel myself getting pulled in the moment I looked at it.
At times like this, I’m starting to wonder if the world is out to get me. Why all the ladies that I encountered are super strong and super scary? What’s next? An ancient immortal queen?
“Ah, my love you are here. Good timing. Come join me as we vanquish these thugs back to whatever hole they came from.” Mr. Arthur declared.
Wait what?